Tag: starbucks

It is hard to imagine we have reached a point where something as insignificant as a disposable coffee cup could generate such controversy among evangelical Christians. When Starbucks recently decided to remove pictures of Christmas trees, reindeer and snowflakes from their 2015 “holiday” cups it trigged a national outcry by Christians across social media sites that went viral in just a short period of time. Why so much attention given to a cup, a disposable cup? It was the result of one self-proclaimed evangelist, on a YouTube video, who said that all Christians should be offended by what he perceived as an “attack” by Starbucks against Christianity and Christmas. There is a sad incongruity in recognizing that here we have a man who identifies himself as an evangelist, but yet considers the removal of winter themes from a disposable cup as the most important message the world needs to hear. A message apparently so profound that it has collected over 12 million views.

If Christians truly perceive the removal of these drawings on a cup as representing an attack against Christmas, it is highly likely they have completely missed the reason for the Christmas celebration. It is difficult to recall any account of Christmas trees, reindeer or snowflakes in the biblical narrative known as the Christmas story; probably because they simply are not there. This points to the fact that Starbucks does not, nor has it ever, claimed to make the birth of Christ their central theme of the Christmas season. It is not as if Starbucks had previously designed their cups with pictures of angels, stars, manger scenes and shepherds.

When we fix our eyes on trivial issues it distracts us from the significant issues which are glaring us in the face every day. We are bold about posting a video to Facebook of a man declaring how offended we should be about a cup, but we shy away from sharing the gospel with our family, neighbors and co-workers who desperately need the hope that Christmas brings. So eager are we to shout our outrage at a company which has never claimed to be a theological institution, but we never speak a word to the impoverished person on the street corner who has lost all hope in anything. What message do we as Christians want to convey this Christmas season; the message that we are deeply sensitive to the scribbling on a disposable cup or our overwhelming joy in the message of hope and salvation that the Christmas season brings every year?

Instead of being offended by the removal of Christmas trees and reindeer, let’s consider the significance of a red cup. A red cup which points us to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ that we celebrate each time we partake in Communion. The cup Christ was born to drink so that His blood might enable the forgiveness of sins to those who believe upon Him. You may be offended by the Starbucks red cup, but it seems to be the most fitting color to represent the true meaning of Christmas than any cup design previously created by Starbucks.